MUAR, July 2 — The Muar district office today dismissed allegations that it had obstructed a government event on June 15, clarifying that the programme was instead moved to a different venue for specific administrative reasons. 

Muar district officer Zainal Eran said the district administration had requested that the event be relocated to uphold the principle of neutrality in the use of government assets, stressing that government buildings should not be used for political programmes or activities.

He was referring to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s engagement programme with the local community, which was initially scheduled to be held at the Sungai Balang Mukim Penghulu Complex before being moved to Pantai Leka Food Court Square following discussions between the Muar District Administration and the Johor State Development Office.

Zainal said the programme was successfully held at the new venue, drawing a strong turnout of federal government leaders, officials from relevant agencies and members of the rural community.

“That clearly shows we did not stop the programme. We only requested that it be moved to another location. We do not want government buildings to be used for political programmes or political activities,” he told Bernama at the Muar district office here today.

Zainal said the district administration’s decision was also influenced by the absence of an early formal application and limited programme details, with less than 24 hours’ notice making it difficult to coordinate logistical arrangements properly.

He added that the concerns proved justified when an inspection on the morning of the event found the area surrounding the new venue already lined with political party flags, even though the official campaign period for the Johor state election had yet to begin.

As such, he said the district authorities acted to ensure state government facilities would not be perceived as being used for partisan political activities.

Zainal also urged all parties to act responsibly and stop politicising the matter, stressing that the programme had ultimately achieved its objective of engaging with the people in a peaceful and orderly manner.

“The allegation that we blocked the programme is simply not true. We decided only to change the venue and to ensure that government buildings were not used for political activities or election campaigning.

The Johor state election will be held on July 11, with early voting on July 7.

For the latest updates on the election, visit https://prn.bernama.com/johor/. — Bernama